With
global business expansion now more accessible than ever to companies around the
world, moving your business to an international market may seem like a very
attractive prospect. After all, expanding overseas gives you the chance to get
your products and services in front of a different target market and improve
your profit margin. However, expanding your business overseas does not come
without its own unique set of challenges. And since most companies need to hire
employees in their new location to keep things running smoothly, managing an
international team is likely to be something that you will need to become
familiar with. With time zone differences, cultural differences, and language
barriers just a few of the factors that might come into play when managing a
global team, it’s important to ensure that you’re fully prepared to face all
the many potential challenges.
Navigate Time Zones:
When
you’re working with teams that are spread across different locations around the
world, it can often feel impossible to find a meeting time that’s going to work
for everybody. Even if you only have one team to manage, finding a time that
suits everyone can be difficult if they are based on the other side of the
world. Thankfully, with the rise of global business, there are several options
that you can use to make scheduling meetings easier. TimeAndDate.com
is an ideal option with an app for iOS that you can use to figure out the time
right now anywhere in the world. It also includes a meeting planner feature
that makes it easier for you to coordinate schedules.
Learn the National Holidays:
Across
the world, holidays are celebrated differently. The national holidays that you
celebrate at home might not be celebrated in the country where you are
expanding your business, or there might be different holidays there that is not
widely celebrated in the US. As a result, you will need to be prepared to allow
people in your international team time off for holidays that you may not have
heard of. You should ensure that you know which holidays are particularly
important to your international team members, particularly those that are
observed by certain religions. It’s important to understand the details of
these holidays and how they are celebrated, and how this might have an effect
on team members. For example, Ramadan requires people to fast throughout the
day, which can affect their productivity.
Understand Cultural
Differences:
Your
team members across the world might speak perfect English, but don’t assume
that their cultural values are the same as yours. Learning about the cultural
differences in the market that you have expanded your business into will not
only make it easier for you to understand your target audience but also the
people who you have hired to work for you. There are several ways to research
your team’s cultural backgrounds including reading articles and books, watching
movies made in that country, or speaking with members of your team who are
willing to educate you more and speak about their experiences.
Consider Working With a PEO:
Working
with a professional employer organization (PEO) can be one of the best ways to
navigate managing an international team. The PEO can act as an employer of
record in the country that you have expanded to and they will usually have
employees based there who can manage team meetings, pass messages along, and
ensure that your company is hiring the right talent. A PEO can also manage
various other aspects of hiring employees overseas including sourcing and
providing employee benefits that are typically expected in that area,
navigating payroll and salaries, conducting HR services, and ensuring that all
employment is in line with local laws and regulations while you can focus on
managing the US side of your business at home.
New Horizons Global Partners offers a range of
PEO services for businesses looking to expand overseas, including a Taiwan
recruitment agency that you can use to hire the best local talent if you open
premises in Taiwan. New Horizons Global Partner can manage a lot of the main
challenges on your behalf including currency differences, language barriers,
time zone differences, and cultural differences.
Use Collaborative Software:
Software
programs that are designed to allow team members to collaborate with one
another in the cloud are often the best option for working on a project with
teams that are based around the world. For example, G-Suite’s set of tools
including Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides can be updated in real-time by any
team member with access from anywhere around the world, allowing team members
to see what’s happening as it happens rather than waiting for a message. This
allows everybody to access the software on their own timeframe and stay up to
date while promoting maximum efficiency. Using a cloud-based, shared calendar
application is a wise idea to make scheduling meetings easier and a
communications tool like Slack can be used from anywhere in the world. Slack is
a particularly good choice for communicating with international employees as
you can set up group chats for teams in different time zones alongside main
chat groups for everybody.
Learn About Individuals:
Working
with people who are based internationally should be treated in much the same
way as you would when working with people at home. Don’t stereotype,
generalize, or make assumptions about your new employees, particularly if they
are from a country or culture that you don’t yet have a deep understanding of.
Remember that while they may be working for an American company, they are very
much working on their home soil. It is OK to learn that you might have some
cultural biases, but don’t let them get in your way and be open to changing
your opinions and learning new things about the culture that you have made your
business a part of. Make friends with individuals who are working for you and
seek advice from somebody who is familiar with the local culture and customs if
any culture-specific issues occur. Ask open-ended questions if you are stuck; chances
are that the people working for you internationally will be happy to help you
learn more about their culture and way of doing things.
Trust Team Members:
When
you are all the way over in the US and your international team is thousands of
miles away across the world, micromanaging is simply not an option. Working
with a good PEO can make it easier for you to hire talented and experienced
team members that you will be able to trust to get on with the work that needs
to be done. When working with international employees it’s important to bear in
mind that their work style or approach might be different from what you are
used to; don’t get hung up on this unless it is having a significant impact on
the results. Some of these differences might be influenced by differences in
the culture, so keep this in mind and remember that ultimately, outcomes are
what matter the most.
Expanding
your business overseas often means managing an international team, which can
come with several new challenges. Keep the above in mind to help everybody work
together well.
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